Top seven greatest Brighton & Hove Albion players of all time

Brighton achieved promotion to the Premier League for the first time in 2017.

After being stagnated in the lower divisions of the English pyramid for a very long time, Brighton & Hove Albion finally achieved Premier League status for the first time in 2017.

They have been a consistent Premier League side ever since then, playing an attractive brand of football under several mastermind managers like Graham Potter and Roberto De Zerbi.

During this period, the club also participated in the UEFA Europa League for the first time in their history. They have also developed a host of world-class players such as Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo.

Throughout their rich history, many amazing players have represented the club’s divine colours. With all that said, here are the top seven greatest Brighton players of all time:

7. Lewis Dunk

Brighton & Hove Albion’s current club captain, Lewis Dunk, is the ultimate definition of a living club legend. The academy product made his first team debut as a teenager in 2010. Dunk has gone on to make a staggering 459 appearances for the club across all competitions, recording 31 goals and 15 assists in the process. He currently has the fourth-most appearances in the club’s history.

During this period, Dunk has proven to be one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League, owing to his colossal performances in the Seagulls’ backline. He also captained the club to their first-ever appearance in the Europa League and has been a consistent part of the England national team setup.

With Lewis Dunk completing his childhood dream of captaining his boyhood club, he is an absolutely adored figure among the fan base and will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest ever players in club history.

6. Glenn Murray

During his two different spells with Brighton & Hove Albion, Glenn Murray proved to be one of the most clinical strikers in the club’s history owing to his incredible goal-scoring abilities.

It was Murray’s first stint at the club that garnered him all the global attention, as he bagged an impressive 54 goals during that period in 111 appearances across all competitions.

Following brief spells with other English teams such as Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Reading, Murray returned to Brighton on a permanent deal in 2016. With his consistent performances in attack for the Seagulls, Glenn Murray is undoubtedly a modern-day legend of the club.

5. Danny Cullip

Danny Cullip was an exceptional defender for Brighton & Hove Albion who primarily played for the club during their tenure in the second and third divisions of England. During this period, Cullip made over 200 appearances for Brighton, putting in consistent rock-solid performances at the back.

Having joined the club on a permanent deal in 1999, his formidable displays in the Seagulls’ defence earned them back-to-back promotions. Owing to Danny Cullip’s standout performances, he was the recipient of the Brighton Player of the Year award on two separate occasions.

4. Bert Stephens

One of the most prolific wingers in Brighton’s history has undoubtedly been Bert Stephens. Owing to his incredible performances on the pitch, Stephens became an instant fan favourite within his first few games for the club.

In his remarkable 13-year stint with the Seagulls, Stephens scored an astounding number of goals, serving as a key player of the first team throughout that period. His impressive goal-scoring prowess made him Brighton’s top goal-scorer during the 1937 and 1939 seasons.

To this date, Bert Stephens is in the top five of the club’s all-time leading goal-scorers list, further highlighting his unbelievable impact and invaluable contributions to Brighton’s rich history.

3. Kerry Mayo

Having spent 14 years at Brighton & Hove Albion, left-back Kerry Mayo is one of the club’s longest-serving players in history, accumulating a total of 419 appearances during that period.

After starting his Brighton career as a rotational squad player, Mayo’s incredible performances in the full-back position made him a regular first-team starter for the club for the years to come.

Alongside Danny Cullip, Kerry Mayo was an integral part of the rock-solid defensive backline that enabled Brighton to achieve a stellar feat of back-to-back promotion-winning campaigns. 

2. Ernie Wilson

Dynamic winger Ernie Wilson holds the club record for the most appearances in Brighton’s history, with an astounding 566 appearances to his name. In his 14 years at the club, Wilson was a regular first-team starter for an incredible 12 seasons, making several key contributions in the process.

During this period, Wilson netted an impressive 67 goals across all competitions for the Seagulls. Nicknamed ‘Tug’ by the passionate Brighton supporters, Ernie Wilson was undoubtedly one of the greatest ever players to represent the club.

1. Tommy Cook

With his last appearance for the club coming almost a century ago, striker Tommy Cook remains the greatest-ever player in the history of Brighton & Hove Albion.

To this date, Tommy Cook is the all-time top goal scorer in the club’s history, scoring a stellar 123 goals across all competitions. During his eight-year career at Brighton, Cook made an impressive 209 appearances for the club, recording an incredible eight hattricks in the process.

Despite the club being in the third division of English football, Cook became the first Brighton player in history to represent the England national team at the global stage. Owing to his unbelievable performances in a Brighton shirt, Tommy Cook has etched himself in the record books of the club forever.

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